What is the Difference Between Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling?
Marriage is a beautiful bond between two individuals. However, the road to marital bliss is only sometimes smooth. Often, people who are married and having trouble in their relationships need professional help. That’s why seeking couples therapy and marriage counseling is common in modern society
However, most of us use these terms interchangeably without knowing the difference between the two.
While both types of counseling give an insight into the best strategies for maintaining a marriage, they are still different.
In this article we will go over the differences so you can better understand when to seek couples therapy or marriage counseling. First, let’s look at marriage counseling.
Marriage Counseling
One of the most important things that separate marriage counseling from couples therapy is that it focuses on the past and present of the marriage. This therapy allows couples to reflect on how they have been coping with the challenges of married life. Proper counseling allows couples to rekindle the flame and learn to trust their partner again.
Marriage counseling proves to be very beneficial, provided you seek help from a professional and reliable counseling service. Typically, it is a short-term treatment, but it can last several sessions. Marriage counseling requires couples to tackle their issues from the root. They must return to their previous arguments and discover the reasons and situations that led to these arguments.
Another aspect that sets marriage counseling apart from other therapies is that it addresses personal issues to acknowledge the behavior you are showing in the relationship.
Benefits of Marriage Counseling
Through professional marriage counseling, couples can:
- Get a neutral opinion on their relationship
- Create a safe space to discuss conflicts
- Understand each other’s perspectives
- Face challenges together
- Focus on the present
- It provides an opportunity for couples to talk through their differences
- Allow you to build a strong and happy foundation
Couples Therapy
Now that we know about marriage counseling, let’s learn more about couples therapy and how it can be helpful. This type of therapy is for couples who have unhealthy behavioral patterns. Both parties can seek this therapy, together or individually, to identify the factors contributing to marital conflicts.
Research findings reveal that couples therapy can offer healthier ways for married individuals to rebuild their relationships. For instance, if a couple is going through a hard time because one spouse has a disability or immobility issue, this therapy can be helpful.
That does not mean that only couples with medical issues should seek this therapy. Even if you are not facing these severe issues, you can still go to a therapist who can provide reliable services.
Unfortunately, many couples avoid contacting anyone for therapy because of its stigma.
That’s why many couples seek marriage counseling or couples therapy as the last resort when it should be the first option they should consider.
Let’s check out how a marriage counselor differs from a couple’s therapist.
What Do Marriage Counselors Do in a Session?
The counselor’s role in marital counseling is to listen to the issues and encourage the couples to discuss them openly. The counselor is a mediator, allowing the couple to communicate without hesitation.
Sometimes, marriage counseling from a church leader is also a great idea.
The counselor’s role is to act as an arbitrator and stop the couple from shouting or berating each other. A marriage counselor can play an active role in creating new ground rules. These rules can help both parties to avoid conflicts or physical misconduct.
For example, the marriage counselor can encourage couples to set some boundaries. For instance, if a spouse tends to go over their partner’s phone, the counselor may recommend the couple respect each other’s privacy.
Always seek services from a marriage counselor with a state-issued license for diagnosing mental illnesses.
What Do Couples Therapists Do in a Session?
In a couples therapy session, a therapist may help couples look at their relationship without judgments or comparisons. Hence, they can work through their conflicts in a personalized manner.
The therapist can discuss both partners’ patterns, characteristics, and behaviors to identify problems. However, they will still recommend you to psychiatrists if they have a more serious finding.
Signs You Should Look Into Professional Help
How can you know if your relationship could use professional help?
No matter how hard a couple tries, relationships can be a rollercoaster ride for most. They are a work in progress. Remember that maintaining a good marriage takes patience, time, and sometimes professional help.
Here are a few good reasons why couples therapy or marriage counseling might be beneficial for you.
- You can’t communicate easily.
- Adultery is being committed
- You can’t resolve your problems
- You are together for your children only
- The only possible solution to your conflicts seems to be separation
The Goals of Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling
The goal of marriage counseling and couples therapy is the same: to help couples overcome or manage their psychological/emotional/social challenges.
Both counselors and therapists can help you create healthier patterns for overcoming communication problems, and create healthier patterns.
When you visit a therapist or a counselor, you can expect to discuss topics that could be uncomfortable. However, talking about taboo or uncomfortable issues is very important because this will lead you to the root of your marital problems.
Final Thoughts
Marriages can be advantageous, but unresolved issues and poor communication can interfere with the capacity to have a successful relationship. Fortunately, we have partnered with Talkspace, which offers online marriage counseling and couples therapy services when you need relationship assistance.
With Talkspace, couples may identify troubled areas and work on them to preserve their marriage. Being the #1 online service for counseling and marriage, with only professionals and board-certified counselors on the team. Visit Talkspace to learn more about how you can work on your relationship when problems arise. Couples can discuss everything from intimacy issues to communication barriers, and even parenting conflicts.
